$417

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Warmonger: The Ultimate Card Game of War is a reworking of the classic card game War!

The core differences are:

Instead of “high-card wins,” wars resolve using a system similar to Blackjack where players can press their luck to try to get a higher total.

There are Warmonger cards with unique powers that influence battle results and other aspects of the game.

Building on the Blackjack-like combat system, there is the option to have Robot players who play by a set of rules. This allows for solo play and for spicing up multi-player games.

Warmonger is best for 2 to 4 players (or up to 6 but some of those people might run out of cards and be out of the game rather quickly) and has the option to add in one or several robot players to make the game more interesting or allow for solo play.

It takes about 20 to 40 minutes to play and is easy to learn.

Recommended for ages 14+.

I liked the idea of the traditional card game War!

it's easy to learn

it's quick to play

But I didn't like the game itself...

you don't get to make any decisions

nothing new or different happens

So I set out to rework the game and came up with
Warmonger: The Ultimate Card Game of War!

I kept it easy to learn by using a lot of game mechanics most people already know -- even people who don't play a lot of games

The play is is still fairly quick, but the players get to make a lot more decisions, press their luck in battle, and take into account how their friends will play their hands

The Warmonger cards add all kinds of one-of-a-kind events to shake things up

The Blackjack-like combat system makes it easy to create rules for Robot players

2, 3, or 4 people can play

1 person can play solo by playing against one or more Robot players

Here's a review of the game by Logan Chops that gives an overview of the game and demonstrates the gameplay:

Components:

60 playing card deck made of 52 regular playing cards and 8 matching custom Jokers

36 Warmonger cards with unique special powers

8 Robot cards with rules for different Robot players for you to compete against

1 Superpower card (denotes the current player in power)

1 table organizer card

4 cards with the game rules

All packaged in a nifty little “Pack of Death” tuck box! Easy to take with you! Quick to setup and play!

The "Pack of Death"

Some extra morbid humor for this special edition. It's conveniently sized to be able to take with you wherever you go -- just like those other packs (only slightly larger to hold all the cards).

the "Pack of Death" front of box

The infamous "Pack of Death"

The quick overview of how to play - you can skim though these graphics or scroll down for a short video.

For more details you can download a PDF of the full rules or even a PDF of the entire PnP game.

I am very proud of this game and I want to make sure that everyone gets to play it. You can make your own set the same way I made my early prototypes.

When a player loses in a War, they gain another Warmonger card because their population gets more aggressive and wants to Win a War!

When a player's action takes another player out of the game, the winner gains 3 Warmonger cards because successful Warmongering is winning!

Warmonger: The Scientist

Warmonger: The Field Surgeon

Warmonger: The Secret Agent

Robot Cards

Because the combat system is similar to Blackjack (win by turning up cards to get the highest score possible without turning up a card that makes you go over 21), Robot players can fight wars using their own set of strategies. Each Robot is a unique enemy.

Robot: The Aggressor

Robot: The Instigator

Robot: The Cheater

The playing cards and custom jokers

Warmonger comes with a deck of 52 standard playing cards plus 8 custom jokers. By having 60 cards, the deck is evenly divisible by 2, 3, 4 (or even 5 or 6) players.

You've seen the front of the "Pack of Death" all over in this Kickstarter. Here's the back which continues the theme:

The back continues the theme...

The Robot cards are a fun way to spice up a game with your friends because each Robot plays differently.

They can also make for interesting solo play.

Because of the Blackjack-like combat system of trying to get the highest Battle Score of 21 or less, there are lots of ways to come up with rules for how the Robot players should play. That's why Warmonger comes with so many Robots -- each is it's own kind of enemy.

Here is a full game video of me playing against 3 Robot cards -- The Cheater, The Cheapskate 15, and The Cautious 14.
I've included some stuffed animals to represent the Robot cards and I explain everything that's going on with the gameplay as it goes along.

The way the Robot players work lends itself to all kinds of expansion ideas. From Robots that play randomly to Robots that implement a state machine to have different strategy states -- the possibilities are endless.

I've created a Facebook group where Robot players can be discussed and shared.

To get things going and give you some idea of what's possible, I've uploaded a Robot called The Street Fighter 18. Check it out on Facebook!

Everything in this campaign is devoted to getting you the best game possible.

ADD ON

If you would like to also get a copy of my first Kickstarter game, Dysfunctional Families, you can do so as an add-on (just pledge additional dollars for it).

If you live in the USA, you can do so by adding $13 on to your pledge amount. Outside of the USA, please message me so that I can confirm shipping costs.If you have any questions about how to do this, please message me.

Shipping to the USA

I will be packing and shipping all the games myself just like I did for my last Kickstarter. They go from my dining table, to my couch, to the Post Office, to you.

2 to 4 copies of Warmonger will fit nicely in a Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box - which means my shipping cost is the same whether I am sending you 2 copies or 4.

I'll be using a Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box to ship 2 to 4 copies

Shipping outside of the USA

Although shipping the games myself allows me to pack each game with care, it unfortunately does not allow me to have preferred shipping rates to other countries nor does it allow me to offer EU-Friendly shipping.
Until I reach a point where I know I will be doing enough volume to warrant setting up shipping and fulfillment partners, it is going to be expensive for me to ship outside the USA and that is reflected in the shipping rates.

I can only say the same thing that other small publishers say: It is embarrassingly expensive to ship a package from the USA to any other country.
I apologize if this makes you unwilling to back this project. The best I can offer you is the suggestion that you download the free Print & Play version and make your own copy so that you can enjoy the game.

If you don't want to pay for shipping but do want to support me in exchange for the pdf version, please make a pledge with whatever amount you deem appropriate.

Shipping on my last Kickstarter - the couch is the holding area for packages ready to go.

Yes, the funding goal is $20. My minimum plan is to get one copy of my game out in the world for someone to enjoy it.

As I've stated before, "a publisher has to grow a crowd by PUBLISHING."

Everyone who wants a copy of my game ought to be able to get it. That's the way I can grow my reputation as a game designer/publisher.

Because of changes in printing technology, it is now possible to do what I call QTYONE production -- printing even as low as one copy of a card game.

While I would prefer to be able to print thousands of copies of Warmonger and get them out into game stores all over the world, that is not something that needs to happen in order to deliver copies of Warmonger to everyone who backs this Kickstarter. Thus the funding goal of only $20.

Of course, funding significantly higher than that is required in order to use traditional printing methods, allowing the game to print enough copies to get them into retail distribution and to make other improvements to the game components. Funding at such a level would truly "kickstart" the game out into the world.

For more about my first Kickstarter game, Dysfunctional Families, and the concept of a goal of funding only one copy see:

Kickstarter is an opportunity to test the validity of a project: "Do people want this?

Risks and challenges

The art and design of the game is complete and the game is ready to be manufactured and delivered to the world.

The challenge of this project is to generate enough backer demand and funds raised to warrant the minimum costs and quantities involved in a traditional print run.
I already have relationships and printing quotes in place to produce this game with a traditional printer.
Fulfillment (getting the rewards to backers) will be done the same way I did the fulfillment for my previous Kickstarter game.

If the Kickstarter does not reach the minimums required for traditional printing, then I will manufacture it with the same manufacturer that printed the playtesting and demonstration copies: DriveThruCards. They provide excellent quality cards and tuck boxes and were my printer for my previous Kickstarter game. All of the photos and videos of Warmonger feature cards and tuck boxes printed by DriveThruCards.

The goal here is to get my game out into the hands of as many people who will enjoy it as possible and I am prepared to do so by having options to handle whatever demand there is.